How to Train Your Dragon 2
by Fifistarfish1998
Summary: Berk is finally at peace with dragons, but when a new enemy begins to pose a threat, Hiccup has to save everyone again. My take on the sequel. It has spoilers, in case that wasn't clear.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own How to Train Your Dragon. All rights go to Dreamworks Animation.**

This...is Berk. Life here is amazing. For the past five years, vikings and dragons have lived together in peace. I learned that dragons weren't as dangerous as we initially thought, and even managed to train one; my best friend, Toothless.

The whole experience was long driven and emotionally draining; I even lost a leg! But, overall, the outcome was worth it. No longer do we have to live in constant worry over the next spontaneous dragon raid, nor do the dragons have to live in fear of death by viking.

A lot has changed over the years. Berk has finally acquired some taste after the bland nothingness it was stuck in for generations prior. It's now colorful and bright and surprisingly into the newly discovered dragon contact sports.

The people have also changed. Unlike before, they are now able to drop their no-nonsense demeanor and even crack a joke every once in a while. The teens, who I had previously barely spoke to, grew to be my closest friends. I became a leader rather than the town screw up.

As for the dragons, they became our closest allies. We managed to overcome problems that living side by side had caused, and life is now better for it. Every day, we continue to train them and every day they proceed to show us what we had been missing before.

And with Toothless by my side, the amazement never ends. Without him, nothing would ever have changed; I would still be shunned, we would continue to lose countless vikings to a needless war. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even have a girlfriend.

Toothless has made my life incredible and I can only hope I do the same for him.

**A/N:**

**Okay, I'm starting a new story. It's multi-chaptered and is pretty much my predictions on how the sequel will play out. I plan to have it all out before June 13th. I hope you enjoy! Please R&R**


	2. This is Berk

The isle of Berk stood in silent anticipation, the only movement around was the gentle sway of the grass in the wind. They were coming. It was only a matter of time now. A few people shifted in impatient fear that they would soon have to pay up, positive they had misplaced their bets.

Suddenly a shout from somewhere amongst the crowd shattered the silence, causing an uproar to spread like wild fire. "I see them!" As the crowd erupted into cheers, the racers came into view. The twins appeared to be in the lead with Snotlout following close behind and Fishlegs dead last. Astrid was nowhere to be seen.

"Gobber, deploy the sheep!" Spitelout shouted from Stoick's side.

"Hold on tight!" Gobber instructed the painted sheep before all too happily launching it into the air.

"Baaaah!" the creature let out, flying through the air, eyes wide.

"Grab it, Ruff!" Tuffnut yelled, standing in Belch's stirrups. Barf Belch was coming in quickly towards the sheep.

Ruffnut leaned to the side, stretching her arms out. "Got him!"

"I can't believe it," Tuffnut exclaimed, "We're finally going to win. We're going to beat Astrid!" The twins high fived.

Just then, Snotlout caught up to them. "Hey, Ruffnut. Did I tell you look amazing today? Because you do," he said smiling at her, trying to be smooth. Ever since it had become clear pickings were slim and his 'feelings' for Astrid were unrequited, Snotlout had suddenly taken a liking to Ruffnut, much to her chagrin.

"Ugh!" She groaned, rolling her eyes. She patted her dragon's neck, "Come on, Barf."

The dragon sped up a bit, bringing Tuffnut's paint splattered face closer to Snotlout's. "Nope! Still hates you!" He shouted, nodding. Snotlout gave him an annoyed look that was quickly disrupted by a feminine laugh. Astrid suddenly appeared out of nowhere, jumped from Stormfly's back and snatched the sheep from Ruffnut's hands, landing safely in her saddle.

"Hey!" Ruffnut shouted, breaking from her surprised trance.

"Hahaha!" Astrid laughed, crossing the finishing line. She had won. Again. Fishlegs gave a holler of congratulations, while Astrid deposited the sheep on the ground. She then started her regular winning aerial tricks before a highly excited crowd. Even Stoick was shouting in excitement. That is, until a sudden thought struck him.

Where was Hiccup?

**A/N:**

**It killed me last chapter to not write in the third sentence, 'For the past five years, vikings and dragons have lived in harmony. Then, everything changed when Drago's army attacked. Only Hiccup, trainer of all dragons, could stop him, but when the world needed him most, he vanished.'**

** Don't judge me. Avatar has been my favorite show since I was six. I can just _feel_ an Avatar/Httyd crossover coming.**

**Did anyone catch the Legend of the Bone Knapper joke with Spitelout? Yes, I _am_ aware I'm not funny.**


	3. Itchy Armpit

**A/N:**

**This is where the spoilers really begin. I'm going off rumors, videos, and other things I have seen. I'm trying to make this as realistic as possible. Obviously, I know very little about this movie, so it's not like I'm going to spoil it, but be cautious. If you want to see the movie without knowing anything, I'd probably stop reading until after you see it. If you do, please come back afterwords! I'm not using spoilers from WonderCon if you're worried about that. Just clips and speculation. Enjoy!**

Today had been an amazing day. Hiccup had woken up early to the ruckus of an over grown lizard wanting to fly. But even rising before the sun did, couldn't put a damper on Hiccup's mood. Flying did that to you. Wiped away any problems you had on the ground and suddenly, you began a new life in the clouds, where nothing tied you down.

It was incredible.

Hiccup had decided to take a new route that day. Discover some new land and maybe even try out a new invention. He had worked tirelessly on it and was eager to put it to the test.

As they glided over the deep blue sea, dark figures followed their progress beneath the waves. Suddenly giant blue dragons speckled in white leaped from the ocean in an almost planned synchronization of each other. Water misted into the air and caught bright rays of light as their giant bodies returned to their homes.

"Okay, Bud, are you ready?" The masked rider asks his dragon as they ascend into the clouds. The leather clad man clicks some riggings into place and without a second thought, leaps from the dragon's back. He loops the bands on his arms to the armor on his legs, causing two leather wings to span the distance, catching him in his descent.

The man laughs hysterically. It worked! He shares a concealed look with his companion, "This is amazing!" And for a few minutes, he just glides, arms spread. That is, until he notices a landing strip. He hadn't thought this all of the way through. Maybe he could let himself fall and then catch himself again until he's close enough to reach the ground.

He does just that. The landing was more graceful in his mind, rather than the rough tumble that had actually taken place, but not too bad for a first try, he supposed.

"Ugh," he groans, picking himself up from the ground. The rider stretches out his limbs and ducks his head forward to remove his helmet. He stands to reveal a square jaw covered in stubble, tan skin scattered with freckles and two wide, green eyes, all framed by a mop of unruly auburn hair.

He gazes at the land before him. It's incredible. All orange trees spread amongst rolling hills, interwoven with fog and lit by the ever rising sun. He was in a state of utter awe and ultimate relaxation.

That is, until a small stone strikes his head.

"Ow!" Hiccup cries out, turning to look at the offender. "Toothless," he coos, "are you pouting, Big Baby Boo? Well, try this on for size!" He latches playfully onto the dragons neck, "Oh yeah, are you feeling it yet?"

Toothless, looking quite unamused, starts to walk towards the cliff edge on his hind legs.

"Oh, you wouldn't hurt a...one legged...ah!" Hiccup exclaims, catching sight of the long fall beneath him and clutching Toothless tighter.

Toothless garbles, falling backwards as the two begin to wrestle. He pins Hiccup beneath him and blocks his pretend punches.

"Vikings and dragons! Enemies again!" Toothless sets his head on Hiccup's chest as he groans, feigning defeat. Toothless suddenly licks his chin, "Ugh!" Hiccup shouts in disgust, wriggling out from underneath the dragon, "You know that doesn't wash out!" He brushes saliva off of himself as Toothless makes a taunting warble.

Hiccup laughs walking to the cliff face. He falls to his knees, pulling a page from his notebook and holding it up for Toothless to lick. He sticks it to his ever growing map and sketches the landscape before him.

"So, what should we name it, Bud?"

Hiccup looks over to his friend, who lifts his paw to bite under his arm.

Hiccup lifts his pencil into the air triumphantly, "Itchy Armpit it is!"

He finishes, storing the map back in his armor. "What do you think, Bud? Keep going?"

"Hiccup!" A voice calls from a distance. Hiccup smiles, recognizing the voice.

"Well, hello, M'lady! Where have you been?"

Astrid lands, petting Stormfly and Toothless affectionately. "Oh, you know, winning races. What else?"

"Won again, huh? I can't say I'm surprised."

Astrid sits right next to Hiccup, smiling, "So, how has your day been?"

Hiccup laughs shortly, "Huh, well let's see. I wake up, sun's shining, Terrible Terrors are singing on the rooftops." Hiccup gets up and starts pacing, "I saunter down to breakfast, thinking all is right with the world and I get," he lowers his voice, imitating Stoick, " 'Son, we need to talk."

"Ugh, not now, dad. I have a whole day of goofing off to get started on," Astrid cuts in, imitating Hiccup along with his body movements.

Hiccup laughs. "First of all, I don't talk like that," he explains gently. "And what are you doing with my shoulders?"

Astrid wriggles her shoulders, teasingly.

He laughs again, "Yeah, that's a really flattering impersonation. Anyway," he continues with his Stoick voice, " 'You're the pride of Berk, son, and I couldn't be prouder-"

Astrid cuts in again, with a nasally voice, "Thanks, dad. I'm pretty impressed with myself, too!"

Hiccup drops his head in defeat. "Okay," he huffs. He squats in front of her, taking hold her hands, "Just...hold...still. This is serious."

Astrid nods, stifling her laughter.

Hiccup sits more comfortably beside her, "My dad wants me to become chief soon. I...I just can't. Not now. I'm not ready."

"Hiccup," Astrid begins, now serious, "you've always known that, one day, you would become chief. What's the problem?"

Hiccup sighs, looking off into the distance. He sees the land stretch off endlessly and can't help but feel trapped. He wants to live, not be stuck to the little piece of rock on which he had been born and raised. He wants to know what else is out there. So, why is it so hard to say that?

"I don't want to become my father," he says, defeatedly.

"Oh, Hiccup," Astrid says, gathering his hair into her hands and starting a small braid. It usually comforted him. "You aren't your father," she says softly. "Your...Hiccup. Just Hiccup. You'll always explore and you'll always have Toothless. The only difference is that now you'll have more responsibilities. But, trust me, it won't tie you down. Nothing can."

"How are so sure? How can I know that?"

Astrid places her hand over his heart, "What you're searching for, it's in here."

Hiccup turns to her, hoping that she's right. She usually is, but sometimes it's hard to take someone's word when you hope so desperately that they're correct.

Astrid smiles at him and he returns it. She glances at the land before them and squints. "What...is that?"

Confused, Hiccup looks too and notices a plume of smoke rising from the tree line. "It looks like...smoke." He rises to his feet, pulling Astrid up with him, "let's check it out."

**A/N:**

**Okay, so in apology for my absence, I wrote a longer chapter. I hope it makes up for it. Again, I'm really sorry about the delay, but we should be good now. My knee is healing. Thank you for sticking around! Next chapter will be up soon. Please review! Happy Easter everyone!**


	4. Eret, Son of Eret

As the couple traveled to investigate the smoke, they had to pass over the vast ocean. The sunlight reflecting light made the blue liquid shimmer as if covered in a million stars. It was breathtaking and the spell broke only as they flew further.

There was something poking out of the water in the distance. Something big.

"Hey, Hiccup?" Astrid said.

"Yeah?" he replied. His gaze was fixed to the smoky tendrils drifting over the tree line.

"Do you see that?" Hiccup looked over and saw her pointing across the endless waves. Yeah, he saw it. He couldn't believe he had missed it before. It looked large from a distance, but as they drew closer, it became colossal.

The structure jutting out of the ocean appeared to be ice. But that was impossible.

"Wow! What happened here?" Hiccup asked, jaw hanging as he flew around the perimeter.

"What could have done this?" Astrid looked horrified.

"I don't," he answered, mystified, "but whatever it was, it must have been huge!"

When the smell of smoke hit his nostrils, Hiccup came out of his wonder-struck daze and said, "Come on, the smoke is getting worse."

They flew closer and closer, when they realized the smoke was coming from a ship, when suddenly, something shot up. The object hit Stormfly, causing Astrid to fall.

"Ah!" she screamed.

"Come one, Bud!" Hiccup prodded Toothless. Together they dove down and the dragon caught Astrid in his paws, right before she hit the water. He gently deposited her to safety on the ship's deck as Hiccup jumped down. He grabbed her arms while she caught her breath, "Are you okay?" he asked her softly.

She nodded and looked over his shoulder, "Hiccup," she whispered.

He let her go and followed her gaze. Their was a crew across from them, staring with wide eyes, until a tall man with dark hair and three grey lines on his chin stepped forward and commanded, "Capture them!"

Astrid lowered into a fighting stance just as Hiccup whipped out his sword.

The man laughed, mockingly, "What are you going to do with that?"

Hiccup pressed a lever, causing the sword to ignite in a fiery inferno and swung it around, warning them to not come any closer. The man jumped back in surprise.

"Who are you," Hiccup questioned, "and why are you trying to capture us?"

The man stepped forward, fear dissipating, "It's not you I want. You're just in the way of my target."

"What target?"

"Oh, my apologies. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Eret, son of Eret," the man said with an inflated chest, "and I'm going to capture your dragons."

**A/N: **

**From now on, this story will be updated Mondays and Fridays. This way this whole story will be out by the movie release date and I can still update my other 5 stories. Thank you for the positive responses! You guys are amazing! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and next chapter will be out on Friday. Please review!**


	5. Who is Drago?

"And why do you want our dragons?" Hiccup asked, warding off the nervous crew with a threat of his sword.

"Simple," said Eret, "I'm Drago's dragon trapper." He said this in a way that implied you were naive if you had never heard that name before. Condescending was the perfect word to describe him.

"And who is Drago?"

Eret scoffed, "Who is Drago? You've got to be kidding me, right? Everyone knows who Drago is."

"So, are you going to answer him?" Astrid asked, temper rising.

"Drago is only the most ruthless vigilante in the last century. Supposedly," he said conspiratorially, "he's building a dragon army. That's why he hired me," he continued, seceding with his cocky attitude, "I'm the best dragon trapper there is."

"Yeah, well sorry to disappoint you and this Drago, but you can't have our dragons," Hiccup said grabbing Astrid's hand and preparing to leave.

"I'm afraid you don't have a choice," Eret said.

"Okay then," Hiccup replied, trying to put an end to this ridiculous conversation, "let's make it fair. If you can catch us, then you can have our dragons." He hopped into Toothless's saddle and pulled Astrid up with him. They wouldn't get captured on Toothless and a captured Stormfly, if trapped, would be easier to save than a captured Stormfly and Astrid.

"Hold on tight," Hiccup whispered back to Astrid as she tightened her grip around his waist.

"Ge-get them!" Eret stuttered, shocked at what was happening.

"Let's go, Bud!"

Toothless rocketed into the sky, reminding both Hiccup and Astrid of their first flight together, as the wind tugged at their hair. Stormfly shot into the sky right behind them as Eret began shooting bolas into the sky, but it was too late. They were too far away.

As they further ascended, they slowed down a bit, allowing the two riders to hear one another.

"Hiccup, this is going to sound really familiar, but we have to tell your father," Astrid said, worry creeping into her voice.

"But unlike last time, Astrid," he replied, "I completely agree."

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The couple landed down right outside the Great Hall before rushing in, looking for Stoick. Looking all around, the chief was nowhere to be found.

"Let's check the forge," Hiccup told Astrid. "He may be with Gobber."

Upon arriving at the his former blacksmith's workshop, Hiccup found Gobber in the midst of cleaning a Zippleback's teeth. He was really in there, wearing his protective eye shield and all. Right behind him stood Stoick.

"Oh there ye are, son! I was wondering where ye were off to," he smiled proudly, "Should've known ye were with Astrid."

"Told ye, Stoick," came Gobber's muffled voice.

"Dad, that's not really important right now," Hiccup said as both he and Astrid blushed.

Both Stoick and Gobber started chuckling.

"Listen," Hiccup continued, "we just encountered a dragon trapper who said he worked for someone named 'Drago.' Do you know who that is?" Stoick's face drained of color, "Because judging by your expression, I'd say you do."

"Hiccup, listen to me. Dragon Bludvist is a madman! He is willing to do anything to get whatever he wants, even kill. Stay away from him!" Stoick looked panicked now.

"But dad, if he's capturing dragons, we have to-"

"Hiccup, just listen to me for once! I know what I'm talking about!" he shouted, and then softer, "I can't lose ye. Not like yer mother."

"Dad, I took down the Red Death. I seriously doubt one man can pose a bigger threat than that!"

"And look what happened," Stoick countered, gesturing to Hiccup's prosthetic. "Ye lost yer leg! And trust me, he does pose a bigger threat. That man is a genius when it comes to matters of war. If what ye say is accurate and he's having dragons captured for himself, then my guess would be he's using them as a weapon. Given the right amount, that's more trouble and pain than the Red Death ever could have caused!"

"I won't stand by and let thousands of people and dragons get killed just out of fear of what could happen," Hiccup said darkly.

"Ye are the future chief, Hiccup. Ye have people here who depend on ye. If something were to happen who would take over?"

"You can't stop me," Hiccup said with finality. "I won't let innocent people die." And with that, Hiccup walked briskly over to Astrid and kissed her gently on the cheek before hopping aboard Toothless and flying off.

"Hiccup wait!" Astrid called running after him while calling for Stormfly.

"Astrid! As yer chief, I command ye to stay here!" Stoick ordered her, trying to prevent anyone else from making a mistake. Astrid glanced back at him as Stormfly landed beside her, before she quickly mounted and flew away.

Gobber whistled low, watching the events play out before him and letting it sink in that he was now stuck with an angry Stoick. But instead of yelling, the large viking just planted his head in his hands and sighed. It was happening all over again.

**A/N:**

**Yay! Another chapter done! I hope you enjoyed. Please let me know what you thought!**


	6. The Recluse

After multiple detours and some speedy flying, Hiccup finally lost Astrid. It wasn't easy as the girl was really persistent, but then, so was he.

It wasn't that Hiccup didn't appreciate Astrid's support; he did, but he needed some time to think. If what his father said was true and this Drago Bludvist really _was_ building a dragon army, than everyone was at risk of an attack. Hiccup wouldn't wait around for his village to be taken under siege and his people to die.

Hiccup had already proved everyone wrong before and taken out a monstrous dragon in the process, he was sure he could take care of this _Drago._

He just didn't understand why _still, _after everything they had been through over the years, his father wouldn't listen to him. He had proved himself hundreds of times, shown everyone that he had reasons for doing the things he did, but his opinion wasn't taken into consideration. It made Hiccup want to scream.

And he did just that, in the air, where no one but Toothless could hear him release his pent up troubles. It was freeing to not always have to remain calm, to not be the levelheaded one in every situation. The sky set you free.

But Hiccup wasn't as alone as he had thought. Just then a large figure began to rise from the depths of wispy clouds. It was a dragon, a Stormcutter to be exact, beautiful and enormous. And standing straight on his back, was a masked person holding a staff.

The dragon halted mid-air, directly in front of Hiccup and Toothless. Hiccup sat up straight and prepared to dart if needed.

"Who are you?" he asked.

The masked rider did not reply, but rather pointed the staff at them. The dragon descended and Hiccup leaned forward. "Let's go, Bud!" he whispered.

Together they began to dart away when Hiccup was grabbed and yanked from his saddle by the Stormcutters claws. Toothless panicked, trying to get back to him so they could escape.

"Toothless!" Hiccup shouted.

The Stormcutter took off with Hiccup and Toothless had no other choice but to follow, not standing a chance against the behemoth dragon. Wherever the rider wanted to take them, they were going.

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It turned out being kidnapped by a dragon and dragged through the sky did not have the same effect as riding one. Hiccup knew Toothless wasn't far behind them and hoped he was doing better than himself. His arms were starting to go numb from their awkward angle.

The Stormcutter darted into a nearby ice cave and flew through its long tunnel. The walls became dark as they flew deeper until eventually they came to an opening. It was huge and full of green grass and an open sky, but what shocked Hiccup most was the multitude of dragons flying around. They were everywhere, taking up every bit of space and making formations in the sky. It was almost like a dragon sanctuary.

The dragon got low to the ground and released Hiccup, never stopping. Regaining his composure, Hiccup watched and saw the masked rider watching him curiously before disappearing altogether.

Where was he? And who had just abducted him? Was this Drago, maybe?

Hiccup looked around. Even if he didn't know the answers, it was impossible to deny how amazing this place was. Just then, Toothless landed beside him and nuzzled against him. "Hey, Bud," Hiccup said hugging his neck, "Do you have any idea what's going on?"

Walking around they passed countless dragons, including several baby Gronckles. They seemed truly happy. If this person was Drago and this was the supposed army, it didn't seem very threatening. But Hiccup didn't think the rider was Drago. He was just trying to figure out who else would capture him.

Who else would build a habitat for so many dragons in an ice cave? Despite what just happened, Hiccup didn't believe this person was dangerous. So who was it?

**A/N: **

**This chapter was a bit difficult to write and it feels a little awkward to me, but the next chapter will be better. And longer. Sorry this week's was so short, but next week I officially start summer vacation. Perks of being a home-schooler. **


	7. The Masked Rider

**I just realized I accidentally put a small WonderCon spoiler in here. I'm sorry, I promise I will triple check next time to be sure it doesn't happen again, but honestly, you really should be expecting spoilers by this point.**

Hiccup continued his exploration, eventually finding himself walking through a tunnel. The tunnel led to a large dark, cave. It was pitch black and Hiccup couldn't see anything. Toothless growled, low in his throat.

Hiccup reached to his belt and pulled out Inferno, pressing a button on the handle and igniting a flame. The room became illuminated, revealing dragons all around, forming a circle around them.

Hiccup backed up towards Toothless, ready to dart in case of trouble. He wouldn't be taken by surprise again. The dragons near the front moved apart, allowing the masked rider to scramble out. The person was crouched down and coming closer. "I bet you think you know a lot about dragons," the Scottish voice said, smacking the ground with their staff, causing all of the dragons to produce flames within their jaws. "But let me show you something you _don't_ know." The person crept up to Toothless and touched his neck, making him to fall to the ground.

The rider studied Hiccup closer and almost too quietly to be heard, whispered, "Hiccup."

But Hiccup heard. The light went out of Inferno and Hiccup, out of options, asked, "Should I know you?"

The person stopped suddenly, slowly removing the paint splattered mask, "No. You were only a babe. But a mother never forgets."

Hiccup gasped. How could that be possible? His mother was dead. She had been gone since he was a baby. But in the back of his mind, a voice was reminding him that no one ever said his mother was dead. She was just gone. The woman smiled, slightly, and without another word ran out of the cave, the lights extinguishing all around them.

"Wait!" Hiccup called, running after her. Toothless, now up again, bounded after him, shooting light so they could find their way out. They were out in the bright green space again and the woman was nowhere to be seen. "Hello?" Hiccup asked, turning in a small circle, looking for his supposed mother. "You can't just say something like that and run off!"

Hiccup suddenly caught movement in the corner of his eye and looked up. The woman was watching him, while she crawled down the length of her Stormcutter's body. The orange dragon was hanging upside down by his tail with green foliage surrounding him, it's bright eyes were watching, curiously. The woman dropped to the ground, crouching and approached Hiccup cautiously. She didn't say a word; just watched him with ever widening eyes.

"What happened?" Hiccup asked quietly. He didn't need to be specific; she knew exactly what he was asking.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice choking. "You were a wee thing when the dragon raid started. Your father ran out to help the village, while I stayed inside to watch you. The noise outside was horrible. All screams and thunder, echoing through the night. I-I stepped outside for just a moment. I thought you would be okay. But a dragon got into the house," she said looking up at the Stormcutter, "and when I came back inside, he was right beside you. He was startled and his claw came up and scratched your chin," she gestured to her own, eyes out of focus while lost in the memory. "I was about to chase him off when he grabbed me and took off into the air. Your father came rushing back and tried to grab me, but it was too late." She paused, eyes returning to his, "I'm so sorry, Hiccup."

Hiccup was shocked. No one ever spoke of the day his mother left. He grew up knowing only that he once had a mother and that his father truly did seem to have loved her. But Hiccup didn't know her. Like she said, he had only been a baby.

"That's how I recognized you," she continued, "Your scar."

"Why did you never come back?"

The woman sighed, "By the time I learned how to, I realized no one would accept the ways I had adopted. I never liked killing dragons to begin with and that put me outside a lot of others, but living among them? Learning their ways? I was an outcast. I couldn't face your father."

The woman looked so sad with her shoulders slumped and her head down. This news was-well, Hiccup didn't know what to think. He had found his mother. He had only one question left.

Hiccup swallowed, "What should I call you?" Mom didn't seem like an option at the moment. After all, this woman was still a stranger to him.

She lifter her head, and smiled sadly, "I'm Valka. It's nice to meet you again Hiccup."

* * *

**A/N: **

**Valka is now officially in the mix. I know already that I'm getting so much stuff wrong on this prediction, but that's what it is, a prediction. I'm trying to get it as accurate as possible, but this story is actually a bit difficult to write. I'm trying to get all the pieces to make sense. Anyway, I hoped you liked it and I definately think this will be finshed by the first week of June. Also, this story finally has a cover. What do you think of it?**


	8. Mending Bonds

Hiccup was having a very strange time these last few days. First, he encounters a dragon trapper who informs him about someone named Drago Bludvist, he argues with his father, which if he's being honest, isn't all that uncommon, and finally he gets abducted by a woman who claims to be his mother. His head is absolutely spinning with all of this new information.

He's pretty sure Valka is telling the truth. She's his mother. The thought of her still being alive, being right in front of him, is really sending him for a loop. How would his father react? Certainly he would handle it better than Hiccup had.

Hiccup looked at the woman from the corner of his eye. She was nuzzling Toothless, who seemed to be loving the attention. All of the dragons seemed to love her. That was one of the main reasons Hiccup trusted her. How dangerous could she be if every dragon she encountered adored her? She was better with them than he was.

She turned to Hiccup and smiled, "Are you alright?"

Hiccup laughed, "I'm as good as I possibly can be in this situation."

Valka lowered her gaze, regret painting over the former happiness. Hiccup felt horrible for saying that. He hadn't meant to hurt her, but he was confused. He needed time to figure things out.

Before he could stop himself, he said, "Do you- Do you maybe want to go flying...with me?"

Valka's head jerked up, eyes searching his for any trace of sincerity. "I would love that," she said quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips.

And with that, mother and son got on their respective dragons and took to the sky.

It was nice to be in the air again and it looked to be just as relieving to Valka. She tilted her auburn head back with her eyes losed, as the dragon she was riding, name Cloudjumper, ascended through the clouds. She looked so comfortable. She didn't have a saddle or any riggings of any kind; she rode bare back. That took skill that not even Hiccup would test.

When Cloudjumper straightened out, she opened her eyes and peered at Hiccup, who was watching her with wide eyes. She laughed, "Watch this!"

She patted Cloudjumper's neck and he responded by turning sharply to his side. He was going to do barrel rolls. Valka stood, arms outstretched and walked across her dragon to stay upright. They were perfectly in sync with one another.

"Wow," Hiccup called. "I can't do that, but this I can do." Hiccup adjusted his foot and set Toothless' fin to solo gliding, before suddenly allowing himself to drop from his back. Hiccup stretched out his arms and his outfit expanded, letting him glide through the air.

Valka clapped her hands from above, "Very impressive!"

They continued displaying trick after trick, showing each other what they had learned and what dragons meant to them. For the first time in twenty years, Hiccup had a mother.

* * *

"Gobber, he's been gone for two days, we need to find him," The great Viking chief said to the blacksmith.

"He's twenty years old, Stoick. He goes off like this all the time. I'm sure he's fine."

Stoick slammed his hand down on the smithy counter, "No! Not after we have a fight! He always comes back," the man paused, a horrified look taking hold over his face. "What if Drago got him?"

Gobber turned to him. "Do ye honestly think that?" He was trying to remain calm for the benefit of his friend. There was no point getting worked up over something not yet proved, but doubt was beginning to creep into his mind. Maybe Hiccup was in trouble.

"I don't care what you say," Stoick said standing resolutely, "I'm going to go find my son. He started to walk towards the door, ready to call his dragon and appease his troubled mind, but was stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Wait for me," Gobber sighed. "Just because I'm positive he's fine, doesn't mean I won't help you look."

Stoick smiled softly, glad to have his friend by his side. "Thank you, Gobber."

* * *

"Come on, guys! Just help me find him and then I'll leave you alone. Gods! Aren't you curious?"

Astrid had been trying to convince her friends to help her find the dragon trapper. What was his name again? Eret. If they found Eret he could tell them where to find Drago, and where Drago was, Hiccup was surely near.

"Astrid, you don't even know who this person is," Snotlout spoke up from amongst the small group she had gathered.

"I've met him before," she argued. "I know I can get him to tell me where Hiccup went. Please," she pleaded, "just help me."

Her friends stood quietly before, amongst groans and complaints, they finally complied. They would help her. They were going to find Hiccup.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Yay! We're finally getting somewhere! I hope this chapter is okay, I was kind of in a rush. I have to write a composition by Wednesday and it's a bit stressful. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.**


	9. Brilliance and Kidnappings

"Stoick, are you sure this will work?"

The massive Viking didn't even pause to answer his two-limbed best friend, "This is our only chance. If this doesn't succeed, I don't know what will." He shook his head, refusing to think of what that could possibly mean.

Gobber quickly followed as his friend stomped up the steep stairs of his house and burst through his son's door. He paced over in a hurry and ripped the fur skins off the long empty bed. "Please," he said to the blanket, hope shining brightly in his eyes, "Please, let this work."

Gobber saw his friend's guard drop and watched as the usually carefully hidden emotions flitted across his face. He saw pain and love that had been unexpressed; he saw worry and anxiety. He saw everything Stoick had always been so good at concealing. He hadn't seen him like this since the incident with Val.

As they walked outdoors, they met Skullcrusher. The chief held out his outstretched hand that clutched the dark furs under the dragon's snout. "Take us to him," Stoick pleaded with him. He waited, expectations slowly beginning to die as the armored dragon simply stood there, seemingly confused. But then, he did it. He sniffed the pelt and grunted, stepping closer to fully immerse himself in the scent. He looked to Stoick with an order in his eyes.

A smile breached the man's face, energy regenerating and radiating. His dragon was brilliant.

* * *

"Drago is going to _kill_ us. We didn't capture enough dragons and we're supposed to report back today!" Eret was in a fowl mood, holding an ice block to his head to sooth his raging headache. He was pacing back and forth before his rightfully silent crew. "_Well_?" he snapped at them. "What are we to do?"

Unbeknownst to the trapper who was watching his men's eyes widen in shock, a Deadly Nadder was flying towards him at an alarming speed. The dragon snatched him in its claws and flew the terrified man high into the clouds, screams losing force as their altitude increased.

Eret looked around to see a group of four on the backs of their respective dragons. He twisted in the Nadder's claws and peered over its wings, finding none other than the pretty blond girl whose dragon he had tried to capture.

"What is this?" he shouted up to her.

She smiled down at him. "A kidnapping," she replied cheerily.

"Can he ride with me?" Ruffnut asked, maneuvering Barf closer to Eret. She stood in her saddle and grabbed his arm, looking at him dreamily, much to the dismay of Snotlout and Fishlegs, "Can he? _Can_ he?" Eret yanked his arm away, shooting her a glare.

Astrid rolled her eyes, while Tuffnut gagged and pulled Belch away from highly disturbing scene. As she moved away from the trapper, Ruffnut bit the empty air, hands clasped to her chest.

"Okay," Astrid began, "There is something we need from you."

Eret snorted, "Of course. Because the best way to get what you want is to abduct and threaten someone."

Astrid smiled sweetly, "It's never failed before."

"Fine! What do you want?"

"Where exactly is Drago Bludvist located?" Astrid asked. This was going to work. Her plans always worked.

"Yeah, um, why would I tell you that?" Eret questioned before he could answer it himself. Death. Answer the question or die. And death by this girl would surely be worse than death by Drago. She had a look in her eyes that positively screamed, 'No mercy.'

Astrid shot him a look, "I'm sure you can guess."

Eret sighed, "I don't know where he is."

The blue-eyed beauty blinked her long lashes and said with a confident voice, "Stormfly, drop."

Eret plummeted towards the rapid waters beneath, screaming the whole way until she said in a similar tone, "Stormfly, fetch."

The gold speckled dragon dove after and reclaimed him. "Alright!" Eret huffed, thoroughly exhausted with the days events, "I'll tell you."

Astrid leaned back and flexed her fingers, a smug smile forming at her lips, "Works every time."

He told her the coordinates and waited as she retained them to memory. "So, can you return me to my ship now?" he asked desperately.

She seemed to consider this before saying, "No. You're coming with us. In case you just lied."

"But I _didn't_," he shouted.

Again, Astrid smiled down at him, "Then I suppose you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

* * *

**A/N:**

**This chapter is late, but it's here. So, this story is currently at 18 reviews, 18 favorites, and 18 follows. Crazy, huh? It kind of made me laugh that it lined up that way. Thank you to everyone who contributed! I hope everyone liked the chapter.**

** Lorde: Oh, thank you! You're so sweet! And don't worry, I can understand you just fine. :)**


	10. Revelations

**Recap: Stoick learned that Skullcrusher could follow Hiccup's scent and track him down, so he and Gobber are off to find him. Astrid kidnapped and threatened Eret into telling her where Drago is, because she thinks that is where Hiccup went. They are also on the search for Hiccup. And the boy in question is currently in the company of his mother for the first time in twenty years.**

"Come along," Valka said, "I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Hiccup asked running after her, trying to keep pace with the agile woman, while Toothless bounded along beside him.

Valka smiled back at him, never slowing, "It's the creator of this place. The father of all dragons."

That had managed to capture Hiccup's interest. Finally, she slowed near a cliff edge. Hiccup waited expectantly, not seeing anything as spectacular as what she was describing other then the usual dragons flying through the air. Then, it moved.

It was hidden in plain sight and easy to miss, but when it moved, you wondered how you could have been so blind. The dragon was the biggest Hiccup had ever seen, even compared to the Red Death. It was white with a dusting of gray and black tipped spikes all over its body and clustering on the top of his head, seeming to form a crown. Although its eyes were what hypnotized Hiccup.

They were blue and shadowed in a dark pigment. They spoke of wisdom and endurance. This dragon had witnessed so much and had come to be better for it. It was amazing how many secrets its eyes held.

"The Bewilder Beast," Valka said softly, bowing down to it."One of the last in existence." Hiccup looked over and saw Toothless kneel while turning his eyes away from the larger dragon's.

The Bewilder Beast slightly opened its mouth and released an icy breath. It hit Hiccup and covered him in frost. "Wow!" he exclaimed, brushing the ice from his hair.

"He likes you," Valka laughed. "Do you want to see my favorite thing that he's created?"

"Sure," Hiccup replied, once again following after her.

She led him through the tunnel in which he had entered. Hiccup suddenly realized that the Bewilder Beast had probably created everything he saw. The entire haven was made of ice. He studied his surroundings in renewed amazement. One dragon had single handedly made a safe place for thousands of others and it was incredible.

They turned down another hallway and came into a vast, blue room. Made solely of icicles and icebergs, it was a sight to behold.

"Do you like it?" Valka asked, wringing her hands and looking at him for appraisal.

"It's breathtaking," Hiccup said, voice hitching. How had he never known about this place? He had traveled to hundreds of different locations over the years, had explored multiple terrains, but never had he seen anything like this. This was phenomenal.

"I can't believe you live here," he said.

Valka smiled, "It is nice."

Suddenly a crash was heard from outside, startling them all. "What was that?" Valka exclaimed as Toothless narrowed his eyes, lowering to the ground.

"Stay here," Hiccup said, motioning for Toothless to stay too, "I'll be right back." He ran towards the source of the noise, through the long, dark hall. Hiccup stopped when footsteps started to make their way towards him. The steps echoed loudly, but if you listened closely, they sounded unsteady. Like someone was slightly limping on a long healed wound.

Hiccup caught sight of the two men right as they came around the corner. They saw him and their eyes widened, "Hiccup?"

"Dad? Gobber? What are you doing he-" he didn't get a chance to finish his question, as his father enveloped him in a hug.

"Thank Odin you're safe," Stoick said, tightening his grip.

"Dad! Too tight!" Hiccup gasped. The chief dropped him with an apologetic smile. "Why did you think I was in danger?"

Stoick shook his head, brows furrowed, "You've been gone for days! We didn't know where you were."

Gobber slapped his shoulder, "We thought ya were dead!"

"Wait," Hiccup said, equally confused, "How did you find me?"

"Skullcrusher," the men answered in unison.

"Hiccup," Stoick said, furry creeping into his voice, "who captured you? Where is the coward?" The man started to stomp down the hall, murder in his eyes.

"No! Wait, Dad! There's something you should know!" He was going to see Valka. He would recognize her and- What would he do when he recognized her?

Gobber watched the fear rise on Hiccup's face curiously and almost ran into a stopped Stoick.

The man had halted in shock, mouth gaping.

Hiccup and Gobber looked around Stoick's large body and saw Valka standing tall and confidently on a ledge of ice.

"I know what you're going to say," she said, moving from foot to foot, uncomfortably.

Stoick moved towards the woman slowly, until he was standing right before her. He gently cupped her cheek as she stared up into his watery, green eyes. "You're as beautiful as the day I lost you," he whispered, softly, while a tear ran down the length of her face.

"Hello, Stoick."

* * *

**A/N:**

**Oooh! Family drama! How heartbreaking. Let me know what you think of this chapter.**

**PalminoGirl: I hope that recap helped! That was the first one I've written so I don't know if it's the proper way to do it, but I tried. :)**


	11. Who Are You?

**Recap: Stoick and Gobber have been reunited with Valka and Hiccup. Astrid and the rest of the gang are still on the hunt for Drago.**

"You better be leading us to the right place," Astrid threatened Eret as he dangled from Stormfly's claws. After hours of hanging, he seemed to be used to his position and no longer struggled or screamed.

"I'm not," Eret said, annoyance obvious in his tone. "You should be getting close."

They were flying quickly over snow covered mountains that concealed everything beyond them with their size. Astrid was attentively watching for any sign of Drago or Hiccup and she seemed to be the only one doing so. Eret was pointedly ignoring Ruffnut's ogling while Snotlout and Fishlegs watched him with burning hatred and Tuffnut was left watching his sister in disgust.

"Guys," Astrid snapped, "pay attention."

"Don't worry," Eret chimed in bravely despite Astrid's icy glare, "I'm sure your boyfriend's fine."

"Who told you you could talk?" Astrid asked.

"Hey!" came Ruffnut's furious voice, "don't talk to him like that!"

"He's bad, Ruff," Astrid sighed. "Try to remember what we're doing. We are going to find Hiccup, possibly confront this Drago and desert this idiot. Hopefully, if we're really lucky, we won't have to see him ever again."

Eret snorted, "Oh trust me, Blondie, the feeling is mutual."

Astrid looked to the sky in bafflement, "Again I ask, who gave you the okay to talk? Because I veto that right!"

"Ugh!" Snotlout groaned. "How do we even know Hiccup's going to be there?"

"We don't," Astrid ground out between gritted teeth. "But this is the only chance we do have of finding him." This trip had reminded Astrid why she liked Hiccup so much. He was the only one who didn't annoy her to the point of pulling out her own hair.

"Astrid!"

"_What_, Fishlegs?" she snarled.

"Is that it?" he asked pointing far below them. She glanced down and there it was. In front of a small mountain, a ship moved slowly through the icy waters, black sails flapping in the rigid wind.

"Yep. That would be it," Eret said, while everyone looked on in shock.

"Let's land on this mountain so they don't see our dragons," Astrid commanded. "We'll walk the rest of the way."

They descended onto the icy top and made their way to a snowy mound overlooking the ship.

"I don't see Hiccup, do you?"

"No," Astrid said, brows furrowed. "Maybe they're keeping him below deck. Let's get closer."

They creeped towards the ship, stealth preventing them from being noticed. That is, until Eret tripped and feel down the side, alerting the crew of their presence.

"Hey!" someone shouted. "Capture them!"

Before they could react, a bola shot out and enveloped them, pulling them roughly to the ship. Once on deck, they were released and each held back by someone.

A tall man with black dread locks came forward, "Ah, Eret. I see you've captured something, though surprisingly not any dragons."

Eret seemed to shrink in on himself before mumbling quietly, "Hello, Drago."

Astrid's jaw dropped, "_This_ is Drago?"

The man smiled, "And you would be?"

She glared darkly at the man and Eret answered for her, "Her name is Astrid."

"Where's Hiccup?" she asked forcefully, pulling against the arms that restrained her.

"Who?" Drago asked, recognition failing to rise on his face. Astrid's plan began to die. Either this man was a very good lier or he truly didn't know who she was talking about.

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock, the Third," she said, using his full name, "Son of Stoick the Vast, trainer of dragons and future chief of The Hairy Hooligans." She described him with pride and Drago's eyes flashed.

"Stoick the Vast? I know that coward. Wasn't aware he had a son."

"Stoick is not a coward!" Astrid defended, "And Hiccup is even braver than him. "

"Well," Drago said, "I guess I'll have to see this 'Hiccup' for myself then, won't I?" He turned to his crew, "Tie them up."

His men turned to do so but were interrupted by squawking and hissing. They looked up and saw dragons flying towards them to rescue their riders. "Stop them!"

Chains shot out and were looped around the dragons' necks, yanking them down.

"Stormfly!" Astrid shouted in fear. The dragon was pinned down and muzzled followed close.y by the others. Hookfang was the most difficult. He fought against the chains and roared. Having enough, Drago marched towards the dragon and lifted his cloak to shield himself as Hookfang attacked him with a flame. Once it extinguished, Dragon lowered the cloak, unharmed. It was fireproof.

Who were they dealing with?

* * *

**A/N: **

**I'm sorry this is late. I was really tired yesterday, but it is here now.**

**Next chapter things really begin! This story is really close to being finished. I hope you enjoyed!**


	12. They're Here

**Recap: Astrid and the rest of the teens were captured by Drago thanks to her stupid plan.**

After explaining her whereabouts for the last twenty years, Valka watched as her husband sat in shocked silence. The room they were sitting in was so quiet, it was if she had gone deaf. She prayed to the gods that he would just say something.

"We," Stoick uncharacteristically stuttered, "we looked for you. Everywhere." His face fell to his hands, "If I couldn't find you, I could have at least prevented you from being taken at all. I should've better protected you."

Valka shook her head with a small smile, "In a way, I'm glad you didn't."

Stoick's head shot up at her words, "Wh-"

"I missed you and Hiccup," Valka interrupted. "Everyday. But living amongst dragons, I learned the error of our ways. I learned how they live and all of their secrets. Even though it hurt to be apart from my family, I think it was for the better. I...I never wanted to hurt anyone."

Stoick looked to her with sympathy before turning to Hiccup and asking, "How did you get here?"

"Well, Valka kind of kidnapped me," Hiccup laughed, trying to ease the tension in the room.

"I saw him riding Toothless," Valka explained as the black reptile looked up at the sound of his name, "and I thought he was a dragon trapper. Recently, the dragons have been going missing and I saw some old traps. " She shrugged, "I was trying to prevent any more from being taken."

"Drago," Stoick asked, voice suddenly devoid of any emotion.

Realization hit Hiccup like a wall, "That makes sense. I don't know why I didn't figure that out earlier."

Stoick shook his head. As long as Drago stayed away from his people, they wouldn't get involved. They would be safe. They would be a family again.

Hiccup walked over to sit beside Gobber who said, "Well, thes has been an eventful day full of family revelations."

Valka perked up at his words, "This is the first time we've all been together in twenty years and we're being everything but joyful." She moved to Stoick's side and offered him her hand, "Let's remedy that."

Smiles lit the couple's faces as they looked into each other's eyes. "Remember our song?" Stoick asked, quietly beginning to sing it.

"I'll swim and sail on savage seas

With never a fear of drowning

And gladly ride the waves of life

If you would marry me

No scorching sun nor freezing cold

Will stop me on my journey

If you will promise me your heart."

Valka stared up at him, heart swelling. She had never forgotten that song; in a way, it reminded her of her family and former life. And he had remembered it. Softly, she joined in.

"And love me for eternity

My dearest one, my darling dear

Your mighty words astound me

But I've no need for mighty deeds

When I feel your arms around me."

Stoick laughed and sang more merrily.

"But I would bring you rings of gold

I'd even sing you poetry

And I would keep you from all harm

If you would stay beside me."

Valka squeezed her husband's hands and began to dance as she continued their song.

"I have no use for rings of gold

I care not for your poetry

I only want your hand to hold"

Stoick swung her around and finished the verse.

"I only want you near me."

Together they swung around the room, singing together as Hiccup and Gobber smiled and clapped their hands with each beat. This is what they had missed. This was what they should've always had.

"To love and kiss to sweetly hold

For the dancing and the dreaming

Through all life's sorrows

And delights

I'll keep your laugh beside me

I'll swim and sail a savage sea

With never a fear of drowning

I'd gladly ride the waves so white

And you will marry me!"

Their song ended but they continued to swing around the room beaming and laughing, eyes never leaving each other. They finally stopped, breathing heavily from their mirth and mutual excursion.

"I missed you," they said simultaneously, causing them to erupt into another round of giggles.

"Were they always like this?" Hiccup asked, eyes shining with happiness as he watched his parents.

Gobber nodded, "They've always been so in love. When together, nothing else was ever important and nothing weighed them down. Even after all this time, nothing's changed."

Suddenly a loud crash was heard and the ice cave shook with the force of the strike. They all stared at each other in obvious confusion, smiles fading before Valka's eyes widened and she ran for the ledge overlooking the sea.

Hiccup ran out after her, hearing her gasp of terror before his eyes met and widened at the sight below them.

An army had come. A big one.

* * *

**A/N: **

** I'm sorry! This is long over due. I've been having trouble keeping track of the days lately, but everything should be updated as planned now. The last of this story is going to be out every other day, that way it's done before HTTYD 2 comes out in theaters. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and please let me know what you thought.**


	13. The Battle

**Recap: The Haddock family reunited but were soon interrupted by the arrival of Drago's army.**

The newly reunited family raced down to greet the approaching army and stopped as they reached the exit. Stoick put a firm hand on Valka's shoulder, "Val, stay here."

"What?" she asked in bafflement. "No."

"You can't go out there!" he exclaimed. "This battle isn't going to end without casualties and I'd rather not lose anyone in my family again!"

"I've been fine on my own these last twenty years, Stoick!" Valka said with a rising voice. "You couldn't control me then, so don't try to now. It won't work."

Hiccup and Gobber watched from behind with wide eyes before the latter prodded the young dragon trainer's shoulder. "This is why I never married," he said in a low voice before shrugging, "and one other reason."

Hiccup shot him a questioning look then shook his head, his attention returning to his arguing parents.

"Val," Stoick's pleading eyes bore into her as he continued in a softer tone, "I can't lose you again."

The woman smiled at him, all anger wiped away and placed a cool hand on his cheek, "You won't. We'll all be together again as soon as this battle is over." With no further arguments given the chance to become vocal, she called for Cloudjumper and took to the skies.

Hiccup shot his father an apologetic look before climbing aboard Toothless and launching after her.

"Well, I guess we should go too," Gobber sighed as they called their respective companions to their sides. "Aren't we gettin' too old to be fighting wars? The younger generations are slacking."

Stoick smiled ruefully and together they faced the oncoming battle head-on.

The ships were docking and some of the crew was setting up large metal contraptions along the rocky land while others commanded chained up dragons to attack. This would be an ugly battle.

Valka began swerving around airborne fire blasts, eyes narrowed and back rigid as she sped through the skies. She appeared to be aiming for the leading ship; surely it would hold the evil mastermind himself, Drago.

Behind her, hundreds of dragons from her makeshift refuge followed. They were trying to save her; protect the woman who had helped them. But one by one they were captured within the metal contraptions. Dragon traps.

Hiccup dove towards them. There must be a way to free them. He dismounted from Toothless' saddle and fiddled with the large hunk of metal. It looked almost like an open jaw: when triggered it clasped together, encasing its victim within.

"There has to be a way…" Hiccup murmured to himself, gliding his hands along the edges of the trap. There! His fingers hit a bump that could be none other than a release. He pressed it in and watched as the walls fell apart, freeing the dragons.

He ran to the other traps and repeated the action, Toothless bounding along beside him. Hiccup was on the last one, hands searching blindly for the release. Gods! Where was it?

The battle was beginning to heat up around him and he needed to get into the air soon. Valka was still trying to make her way towards the ships while Stoick and Gobber were covering Hiccup against the raging soldiers.

Just as Hiccup felt the barely visible button he heard his father shout, "Hiccup, look out!"

Before he could turn his head, he was suddenly shoved out of the way. He fell into the white snow, head spinning from the impact and froze when he heard his father's muffled grunt. His father never grunted.

"Dad?" he asked softly, trying to clear his vision and ease his aching mind.

Everything came into focus and he saw his father sprawled on the ground, blood tainting the pure ice beneath him. Stoick the Vast had fallen.

Above him stood a man with dark skin and dreadlocks the color of coal. He held an extended sword freshly coated in thick blood.

Hiccup scrambled to his feet, face completely devoid of emotion while inside he was numb. "Drago," he said almost accusatorily.

The tall man smiled grimly, "The one and only."

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm sorry it's late but I had family visiting. And as for the length, or lackthereof, tomorrow's chapter will be longer and things are finally starting to wrap up. I might have multiple updates within the next few days, but I assure you, every chapter will be out be Friday.**


	14. The Rescue

**Recap: The battle has begun, Stoick went down and Hiccup is about to face Drago. My recaps are horrible.**

"I'm going to guess you're the amazing Hiccup I've been hearing about, aren't you?"

Hiccup's gaze flickered momentarily to his father's pale, pain stricken face and Skullcrusher landing beside him, before returning to Drago Bludvist, "How do you know about me?"

"Oh," Drago grinned watching Hiccup's face closely, "A certain young blond girl had plenty to say about you. Do you know her?" he asked almost innocently. "Feisty, strong, _very_ pretty."

"Astrid!" Hiccup gasped in panic. This situation was worsening by the minute. "Where is she?" he whispered.

Drago studied his dirty blade with ease, as if they were having a completely normal conversation over a mug of mead. "So you do know her. I figured as much. Is she special to you?"

"_Where is she_?" Hiccup growled, his calm exterior deteriorating.

"Now, now," the colossal man said placatingly. "Don't worry. Your girl is safe and sound." He quieted for a moment, then added, "Along with your other friends."

Hiccup's eyes widened. How did he get them all? What had happened when he left?

"Where are they?"

"Under the supervision of my accomplished crew," he pointed in the direction Valka was flying. "In the ship where that woman appears to be targeting."

Hiccup gaped as doubt filled his mind. What would Valka do once she reached the boat? Surely she wouldn't destroy it, would she? He needed to get over there. He had to leave his incapacitated father.

Hiccup snatched Inferno from his belt and ignited it right before Drago. His eyes widened slightly in surprise and Hiccup jumped on Toothless and took to the darkening sky before he could react.

The man rushed forward as Hiccup ascended, sword raised. His blade managed to slice Toothless' leg before they could escape and the dragon roared in pain.

"Come on, Bud! It's alright," Hiccup soothed him while prodding him to continue towards the ships. The last thing he heard was Drago screaming orders to his crew and a horrified Gobber yell, "Stoick!"

Toothless hesitated momentarily, then darted through the clouds.

"Good job, Bud! Come on!" Hiccup cheered, patting his neck, ignoring the sounds of battle all around him.

"Shoot them down!" Drago shouted in outrage, pointing towards the blurred black figure dodging every shot.

Hiccup caught sight of Cloudjumper and flew closer. "Valka!" he shouted. His mother didn't hear him, her fierce gaze securely locked on her target. "Valka!" Hiccup shouted again, louder This time. She twisted around to look at him, brows creased in confusion.

"My friends are on that ship!"

Valka's eyes widened in sudden realization but she never slowed. She finally reached the deck with Hiccup landing behind her and began fighting the remaining crew. Hiccup reignited his sword and helped her, gradually making his way towards stairs that led below deck. The others must be there.

He descended the steps, leaving behind the loud thuds of swords hitting Valka's staff. Her nimble hands preventing her from being defeated. She had been prepared for this. She had trained.

It was dark below decks, so dark that Hiccup could just barely make out his friend's tied up and gagged forms. "Guys!" he exclaimed rushing towards them and loosening there restraints. They wiggled free and removed the cloths from their mouths.

"Hiccup! Thank the gods you're alright!" Astrid cried, hugging him tight. "I thought he'd gotten you." Her voice sounded relieved, as if a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders and then it immediately turned murderous. "I'm going to kill him!"

Hiccup held her by the shoulders and looked her directly in the eyes, "Not right now. Right now we need to find a way off this boat as quickly as possible."

Without any questions, the small group nodded and followed Hiccup above deck. Valka saw them reappear and remounted Cloudjumper, once again flying off.

"Hiccup, how are we going to get away?" Astrid asked surveying the horrid battle and unconscious soldiers surrounding them. "Drago took our dragons."

"Maybe this will help," a voice said, causing them to simultaneously turn their heads.

"_Eret_?" Astrid asked unbelievingly. The man was riding a red Nadder with all of their recently freed dragons following him.

The riders one by one called out their dragon's names and mounted.

"I knew you were good," Ruffnut said, staring at him in a daze despite their worsening predicament. Eret rolled his eyes.

"Come on!" Hiccup urged them. "We need to get my dad and get as far away from here as we can."

"Your dad?" Astrid asked, shock clouding her vision.

Hiccup nodded once and then took off. There was no more time for questions. This needed to end today. They needed to save his father. He needed his family back. And defeating Drago was the only way to do it.

* * *

**A/N:**

**I'm sorry if there are any typos but I'm so tired. I cannot proofread right now.**


	15. Stoick's Ship

**You are going to hate me.**

**Recap: Hiccup rescued his friends from Drago with Eret's help. They are now trying to rescue Stoick and take off. **

Drago was halfway back to his ship when the riders flew overhead. His gaze followed them as he calculated his chances of reaching them before they managed to grab their downed chief and fly off. The odds didn't seem good. This battle wasn't over, Drago thought with narrowed eyes, he would be back.

When they came upon Gobber's hunched form leaning over Stoick, Astrid gasped audibly. "What happened?"

"Drago stabbed him," Hiccup said without looking away from his father's alarmingly still body. There was a sheen of sweat covering his pale face and his breathing was shallow. He appeared to be unconscious.

"He's lost a lot of blood, Hiccup," Gobber informed him.

"We need to get him back to Berk now." Hiccup moved to grab his father's arms and looked to his friends, "Help me lift him onto Skullcrusher. Gobber, you're going to need to fly with him. I won't be able to hold him upright."

Everyone moved to follow his orders just as he once again caught sight of his mother. "Valka!" he called to her. She landed and stayed in her saddle, observing Stoick's prone form. "Listen," Hiccup continued, reclaiming her attention. She had to stay focused, otherwise Stoick would, without a doubt, die. "We need to get back to Berk, so just follow us."

"What about Drago," she asked, her voice grave.

Hiccup shook his head, "We'll have to deal with him later. As it is now, we will lose this battle. We were caught by surprise, we have no army, and we're practically weaponless. Not to mention the deteriorating health of our chief." his eyes bore into her, "We will not win."

"Okay," she whispered.

Stoick was secured by Gobber's arms, his head lolling to the side. He just needed to hold on for a little longer. They would be on Berk soon enough.

They zipped through the air before the eyes of the retreating army. They flew through the thick fog beginning to cloud the ever darkening, and over the thrashing waves of the limitless sea.

Astrid looked over and barely heard Hiccup whisper, "Just hold on, Dad. We're almost home." Her heart split with sympathy before she silently prayed to any listening gods for the health and mercy of their accomplished chief.

They reached Berk faster than was probably possible and Hiccup immediately sent Fishlegs to go find Gothi, the village healer. He, along with others, helped Gobber to lay Stoick onto the grassy ground. The villagers began to form a circle around the commotion, trying to see the source of all the fuss and freezing when they did.

"Dad," Hiccup said, feeling around his father's chest for his heartbeat. He didn't feel anything. "Dad? Dad, can you hear me?" Stoick didn't answer. He didn't move nor did his eyelids flutter.

He couldn't be gone. Hiccup refused to accept that. Where was Gothi?

Fishlegs landed near the gathered group and Gothi eased herself down from Meatlug's back, rushing to Stoick's aide. She knelt by his side and felt his damp forehead. Obviously dismayed at the sight before her, she leaned her head to his chest. Her face came became grim as she slowly backed away. She looked at Hiccup and shook her head.

No, Hiccup thought, This was Stoick the Vast. The strongest leader this side of the meridian had ever seen. He couldn't be gone. He felt his eyes begin to well up, unable to tear his gaze away from his father.

When the first tear fell, he felt Astrid's arms wrap around him and he buried his face in her neck. Valka watched her son collapse into grief and felt her own internal turmoil begin to coalesce into a horrible pain. Just when she had gotten her family back, they were once again ripped apart. She fell to her knees and let the tears flow from her eyes, allowed the pain to run freely through her.

The others watched in shocked silence as Gobber moved to the miserable woman's side, patting her consolingly on the shoulder, his own face wreathed in torment.

After a while, the broken family pulled themselves together. Hiccup cleared his throat and looked around at the villagers.

"Stoick the Vast," he began shakily, pausing for a moment to compose himself. "Stoick the Vast has passed from this world. To honor our chief, we must hold an honorary funeral. So be prepared. This must happen soon because we have pressing matters to attend to that could cost us even more lives if not dealt with immediately."

Within the hour, the funeral had begun. They loaded their newly deceased chief atop a wooden pier, each Viking moving towards him to say their final goodbyes.

His family had gone first, starting with Valka. She grasped his limp hand in hers and said to him as her tears fell, "Goodbye, my love. I'm so sorry. I wish we had had more time but I will join you soon." She lifted his hand and placed a soft kiss to his palm, "I love you."

She moved back to join the mourning crowd who were still trying to decide whether or not she was who they thought she was. But the time for questions would come later, right now was the time to honor the life of their friend.

Gobber was next. He clamped a hand on Stoick's shoulder. "I always thought that I'd go before you, my friend. After all the reckless things you had done in your life I had begun to think you were invincible. I guess that was just wishful thinking on my part." Gobber trailed off sadly, "Goodbye, Stoick. You'll be missed." He patted his shoulder and then joined Valka at the head of the crowd.

Hiccup was last. He walked to his father's pallet and looked down at him. This wasn't how Stoick the Vast was supposed to have gone. He was supposed to have lived a long and happy life. To grow old. He had been cheated.

"Dad," Hiccup said trying to prevent more tears from falling in front of those who needed him. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He swallowed hard. "I know I've always been difficult and, had I listened to you in the first place, this probably wouldn't have happened and I just-" he grasped Stoick's fingers and squeezed. "I'm so sorry this happened. Drago will pay for this. And I," he coughed, "I love you, Dad. I'll see you in Valhalla."

Hiccup clutched the edge of the pier and shoved him from the beach onto the dark water where he gradually began to float away. He walked over to the crowd and Astrid handed him a bow and arrow. Together, Astrid, Valka, Snotlout, Fishlegs, the Twins, and Hiccup set their arrows alight and shot at the wooden board holding Stoick until it ignited.

Their dragons formed a ring around them and simultaneously shot massive flames directly into the air in a kind of salute.

Astrid walked over and squeezed Hiccup's hand as he gratefully leaned into her. "It'll be okay," she consoled him. "Your father was a great man and his death won't be in vain."

Hiccup nodded, letting her words sink in. Tomorrow, he would once again face Drago, and he would make him regret his actions. By the time Hiccup was finished, Drago would wish Stoick were still alive.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Okay, so I just wanted to let everyone know that there probably won't be another chapter up tonight. The only reason this one is up is because I was mostly finished with it, but right now there is some family stuff that requires attention as of this afternoon. I don't have any idea when the rest of the chapters will be posted tomorrow. If I had to guess, I'd say probably late at night. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and the ending will be up soon enough.**


	16. The Final War

Recap: Stoick's dead. Um, he got a funeral and now Hiccup is out for vengeance. Drago drew first blood.

"Hiccup!" a voice yelled as a pair of hands shook him. "Hiccup, wake up! Drago's here!"

Hiccup flung up from his bed at Valka's words. After the funeral the previous night, he had been exhausted and promptly went to bed. It now looked as if todays events would be even more tiring than the last.

"What do you mean Drago's here?" he asked, hoping he had misheard his mother.

"Drago made his way to Berk. His ship is coming into shore now."

"How big is his army?" 'Please be small,' Hiccup prayed internally.

Valka shook her head, "It's big, but not as bad as last time. Although it gets worse."

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Worse? How could it possibly be worse?" By now Hiccup was up and moving around his room, grabbing his riding helmet and clasping Inferno to his belt.

"Hiccup," Valka said, her voice betraying her fears. "I don't know how, but...Drago has his own Bewilder beast."

How? Surely Eret hadn't found it; they were so rare. How had he managed to find one?

"Has the village begun preparing? Has the artillery been distributed?" Valka nodded. "Okay," Hiccup said, eyes sweeping around the room once more to confirm he hadn't missed something. "Let's go."

They arrived in the town center to find the village bustling around in anticipation. They were ready and it was only a matter of time before the second, and hopefully last, battle would begin.

"Valka?" Hiccup asked. "Can the Bewilder Beast fly?" His mother looked at him curiously and nodded slowly. "And how fast can you get to the ice cave and back with one?"

"I'll be back soon," she said, calling Cloudjumper to her side.

Hiccup caught her arm before she could leave, "Thank you...mom." He smiled softly while her eyes filled with happiness. She stepped forward and enveloped him in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered. She hopped onto Cloudjumper and quickly flew off towards her sanctuary.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called from off to the side. Hiccup looked over and saw her and the others make their way towards him, weapons in hand. "Drago is coming."

"So I've heard. Are you guys ready?" Without any second thoughts, his friends nodded and he frowned. "Really think about this, guys. I don't know how this will turn out. It could get messy."

Astrid shrugged with a sad smirk, "It's an occupational hazard."

"Don't worry."

"Yeah! Don't underestimate our battle capabilities!"

"Yeah, Hiccup! Tuffnut and I have been practicing our entire lives for this!"

"We'll be fine."

Hiccup smiled at their optimistic words. They were all about to delve into the midst of war and here they were, trying to calm his insecurities. He was lucky to have them. "Thanks, guys. And good luck." He turned away and briskly walked of the cliff side to assess their competition. When he saw the Bewilder beast he gasped.

Unlike Valka's, this dragon looked abused. It was dark gray and appeared to be covered in dirt and grime. Its eyes were bright red and ringed in purple. When was the last time it had rested? Or eaten?

But what really shocked Hiccup was the animal's tusk. Half of it was gone. And it didn't appear to have broken; it looked cut. Perhaps that was the punishment for disobedience among Drago's army. Besides the obvious damage, the dragon looked miserable. It looked like it had finally accepted the loss of the battle it had been fighting for years. No more would it suffer from torture and other mistreatments. The fight had simply been sucked out of it.

The poor thing.

Hiccup felt a hand on his back and turned around. "Good luck," Astrid whispered to him, Toothless standing beside her.

Hiccup nodded and grabbed her hand, bringing it to his lips, "I'll see you soon, okay?"

She nodded and sprinted off to go help the others. Drago was already making his way up the mountain with about thirty soldiers, while some stayed behind to unchain the Bewilder beast. Hiccup really hoped Valka would show up soon. They needed all the extra help they could get.

"Are you ready, Bud?" he asked the Nightfury at his side.

The dragon warbled back and Hiccup smiled. At least he would always have Toothless. It was nice to have that kind of constant security.

Drago finally reached the top and stopped before Hiccup, completely ignoring Toothless. Had he seen a Nightfury before? He glanced behind him where the rest of the village stood and smirked, "This is your army?"

"It may be small," Hiccup said, pulling himself to his fullest height, "but it's still strong."

Drago laughed, "We'll see. By the way, how's your good ol' father doing?" He smiled knowing full well what happened. This man was obviously secure being a murderer.

"Oh, no," Drago continued, "you're not the chief now are you? How unfortunate for your tribe."

Hiccup froze. That hadn't yet occurred to him during the string of events that had suddenly taken place. He cleared his mind. There would be time to. Think about this late, but now he had to focus. He needed to keep him occupied until Valka come back.

He looked at his people standing stoically behind. He had grown up with and around these people, and now he might be leading them to their graves. This wasn't the first time they had ever fought. They'd had countless battles and causalities, but never, in Hiccup's life, had it been against another human. This was different. This was worse.

"My people don't need a leader to hold their own," Hiccup growled out.

Drago sighed, "You keep saying that, but I've yet to see the evidence."

Hiccup caught sight of Valka flying rapidly towards them. But not just Valka, the Bewilder beast along with hundreds of regular dragons flew after her. Hiccup smiled at Drago, "Well, you're about to."

Drago furrowed his brows, confused at his words and followed his eyes. Shock bloomed across his features and he yelled to his army, "Now!"

They drew their swords and arrows while the others prodded the abused Bewilder beast up the hill. The Hooligans rushed forward and the battle commenced. Drago pounced for Hiccup as he drew Inferno and ignited it.

"Oh," Drago spit. "That little parlor trick isn't going to fool me again. Can you actually use that thing or just light it up?"

Hiccup swung at him and caught his shirt with the tip, "Both."

Valka's Bewilder beast touched the ground and immediately shot blasts of ice at the army.

"Get them!" Drago shouted and his Bewilder beast rushed forward and shot at the fighting dragon. They were now up against each other, butting tusks and shooting ice.

Valka's dragon charged the opposing dragon and knocked it back and the dragon roared in pain. It's other tusk,being so brittle, was breaking.

Hypnotized by the ensuing fight around him, Hiccup was caught by surprise and hit by Drago, who then turned to punch a growling Toothless. Toothless whimpered and fell down and Hiccup's head spun from the blow while black dots filled his vision.

Within seconds he had pulled himself together again and lunged for Drago, although this time he was ready. He dodged the Inferno's strike and pulled his own from its scabbard. Toothless was still down. Drago must have hit him hard.

Drago feigned a strike and swept Hiccup's feet out from under him. Hiccup fell to the ground and scrambled backwards as Drago walked towards him, sword ready to deliver the final hit.

"No!" Hiccup heard Astrid scream from a distance.

"I see your just as capable as your father," Drago taunted, towering over him. He lifted his weapon and just as he was about bring it down, a wooden staff stopped him.

"Yes, he is," Valka growled, dislodging her staff from his sword and smacking him hard with it. Drago groaned in pain but continued standing. They were dangerously close to the cliff side now. Hiccup got to his feet while the two were preoccupied and surveyed the land. It was covered in jagged icebergs and frost. Miraculously it looked as if the Hooligans were winning. The dragons that Valka had brought were helping to pick off Drago's soldiers.

The Bewilder beasts were still entranced in their brutal fight, unaware of their surroundings. Drago's dragon had finally had its tusk broken off and seemed to be losing energy. Its competitor was pushing it further and further back with each shove, never letting up.

Hiccup was brought back to the duel before him at the sound of thuds. He had to help Valka. Drago had began slicing through her staff and it wouldn't hold up much longer. He ran over to Toothless and lifted his head. It had some blood running down the side but he was otherwise fine as far as Hiccup could tell.

"Are you alright, Bud?"

Toothless warbled and shakily got to his feet. Hiccup smiled and jumped into his saddle, "Good boy!"

On Hiccup's command, they shot into the air and flew a ways back. They hovered for a moment before Hiccup said, "Okay...go!"

They launched back towards Drago, avoiding the ice in their path and Toothless shot a plasma blast at Drago. He jumped back, balancing perilously on the cliff edge, eyes wide and, by one final shove from an extremely fast Toothless, he fell down into the waves.

At the same time, Drago's mighty dragon let out a air ripping scream followed by the echoes of it falling. The Bewilder beast was dead.

With the exception of a few lingering soldiers that were being taking care of, the battle seemed to be over.

Valka ran over to Hiccup and wrapped her arms around him. They'd survived. His arms twined around her and he squeezed. Thank the gods.

When the last of army dropped, the Hooligans froze in anticipation. Were there more? Had they won?

Hiccup extracted himself from his mother's grasp and stepped forward. "We won!" he shouted.

The village broke out into a multitude of cheers and hollers. They had done it. Berk and their dragons were now safe. No longer would they have to worry about Drago Bludvist and the threats he posed. They were safe.

Astrid ran over to Hiccup and they hugged each other tight, both sweaty and covered in layers of dirt. After a few moments Hiccup moved from her grip and grabbed her face, pulling her to him and kissing her hard. The village cheered.

When they pulled apart, they didn't say anything, just simply smiled. They didn't have anything to say and considering what they had been through together in the last few days, they reveled in one another's silence, all too happy they were alive.

Gobber walked up and clapped Hiccup on the shoulder, "Another victory for Berk," he paused and smiled. "Even if was on under command of a new chief."

Hiccup smiled back. He had just led his people through one of the harshest battles in years and they hadn't lost. Maybe he _could_ be chief. Maybe even a good one. Maybe everything would be okay.

* * *

**A/N:**

** Sorry it's a little late. My mom got into a car accident Wednesday afternoon. Luckily she's alright, but my dad and I had to take care of a bunch of stuff yesterday surrounding that. I didn't have much time to write, so I wrote these last two chapters today. **


	17. Epilogue

"Hiccup! Come on!" Astrid urged her boyfriend, tugging on his arm. "They're waiting for us!"

Hiccup smiled and quickly ran with her to the town center where they met their friends and Valka. They had finally managed to clean up Berk after a torturous week and everything was back to normal. Or, as normal as things could be.

"Are you ready?" Valka asked smiling.

Hiccup nodded.

"Where are we exploring this time, Chief?" Fishlegs questioned. It had been a month since the battle and while trying to regain normalcy and provide comfort, his friends had suggested he start exploring new lands again. With the exception that he bring them along, of course.

"Hmm," Hiccup thought. "I was thinking we could fly over to Itchy Armpit and go west. See what we can find. What do you think?"

"Sounds good," Eret squeezed in over the excited mumbling of his friends. He had stuck around after the battle and had trained his own dragon. They were so used to him being around by now, that it was almost like he always had been.

Astrid jumped onto Stormfly's back, "Let's go!"

Hiccup climbed onto Toothless, locking his foot into gear. He shot into the air, followed closely by his family.

This... is Berk. Sure, we've had our fair share of problems and enemies, but when comes down to it, we always stick together. No matter the issue we face, we always help each other through it and come out stronger for it. That's what makes a family; not blood, but the bonds and complications you've overcome together.

Hiccup shifted his foot so Toothless could solo glide and then jumped from his back, triggering his flight suit. He floated alongside his dragon, watching the landscape beneath them pass by.

And that's why my makeshift family is so strong. We've helped one another through every situation and never faltered in the process. And I know that through my service as chief, they will continue to help me, just as Toothless did so long ago and continues to do now.

* * *

**A/N:**

** That's the end! Yay! And I don't even get to see the movie until Saturday. I hope you enjoyed my story and I'd love to hear what you thought! I'm going to post a list of all the sources I used soon, so stick around if you're interested. Other than that, thank you for reading! **


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